This country currently is waging a war against terrorism. Terrorism typically involves, for example, violent acts by an inherently weaker party against a stronger opponent. Terrorist tactics attempt to create fear through actual damage and unpredictability, the latter of which seemingly magnifies the impact of each successful attack. Defending against terrorist attacks frequently is not efficacious because, for example, members of the public tend to focus only on successful attacks while viewing money invested in other (e.g. untested or unnoticed) countermeasures as wasted. The public typically does not perceive the preventative measures taken by authorities unless they fail. Thus, the cost of a failure is readily discernable, whereas any increased deterrent effects are difficult to measure.
Modern-day terrorists, e.g., suicide/homicide bombers, threaten our forward-deployed missions and forces, as well as civilians, as indicated by the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, the U.S.S. Cole bombing in Yemen, and frequent attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces in Iraq. And the events of Sep. 11, 2001 proved that suicide attacks are not confined to the Middle East.
The number of places that need to be protected against terrorists is large. Such places include traditional areas associated with checkpoints, such as, for example, airports, courts, seats of government (e.g. embassies, state legislatures, Congress, the White House, etc.), border-crossings (both inter- and intra-nationally), military bases, government installations, etc. Critical infrastructure (including, for example, water treatment and/or dispensation facilities, power plants, communications hubs, etc.) also needs to be protected. Amusement parks, stadiums, malls, subways, and other areas where people congregate also may be deemed necessary to secure in certain situations. Thus, areas within buildings, blocks in cities, and entire cities may need to be secured, particularly from suicide attacks, in certain instances.
Requiring people to pass through metal detectors at airports helps prevent some attacks by, for example, detecting guns and knives. However, metal detectors cannot always detect all weapons (e.g. plastic explosives, weapons that require some assembly, etc.). Moreover, by the time some weapons are detected, it may well be too late to take action and/or prevent carnage. For example, a terrorist may detonate an explosive as soon as it is detected. Indeed, an explosive may be detected while a terrorist is waiting in line to be screened. Such attacks were common at border-crossings between Israel-proper and the Disputed Territories (e.g. the Gaza Strip and the West Bank). These problems exist where checkpoints and metal detectors exist, and the problems are exacerbated where there are no such checkpoints. Bombs can be placed in concealed locations and detonated when innocent people come near them. For example, there are few, if any, trash-cans in the London Underground after the IRA purportedly continued to hide explosives therein. And, these days, cell phones even can detonate explosives remotely. Similar problems exist as individuals move in, through, and around other of the above-described areas.
Accordingly, these and other areas must be secured against threats of these and other kinds. Thus, it will be appreciated that there is a need for a system and/or method for securing areas. In certain example embodiments, a method of securing an area is provided. Certain example methods are comprised of permitting an individual or a group of individuals to enter into a gateway; emitting at least one signal in or proximate the gateway to detonate any explosives being transported by the individual or the group of individuals; and, when the at least one signal does not cause an explosion, allowing the individual or group of individuals to exit the gateway. In certain example embodiments, the signal may be one or more of an electrostatic discharge, electromagnetic waves, an electric arc, a voltaic arc, and/or at least one cellular signal.
In certain example embodiments, the individual or the group of individuals may be required to comply with at least one command of an official at a checkpoint. The command may be, for example, for the individual and/or the group of individuals to remove all metal, to turn off all electronic devices, and/or to wait. Certain example embodiments may also comprise sealing an entry door and/or an exit door after the individual or the group of individuals has entered the gateway; and, opening the entry door and/or the exit door after the at least one signal has been emitted.
In certain example embodiments, it is possible to limit only one individual or one group of individuals to enter into the gateway at a time. In some example embodiments, the individual and/or group of individuals walk into the gateway, whereas in certain example embodiments the individual and/or group of individual enter the gateway via an automobile.
Certain exemplary systems for securing an area are also provided. They may be comprised of a gateway through which an individual or a group of individuals must pass; and, a detonator capable of emitting signal(s) to detonate explosives that the individual or the group of individuals may be carrying. Preferably, the gateway is mechanically fortified so as to minimize damage from the potential explosion and/or debris from the explosion.
In certain example embodiments, the gateway may be a tunnel enclosed in and/or constructed from a blast resilient material, and in certain example embodiments, the blast resilient material is comprised of steel and/or a resilient polymer. Certain example embodiments further comprise an entry door and/or an exit door, and in certain example embodiments, the entry door and/or the exit door is comprised of a blast resilient material.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a system for securing an area, comprising: a gateway through which an individual or a group of individuals must pass; and, a detonator capable of emitting at least one detonation signal in or proximate the gateway, the detonation signal being sufficient to detonate explosives that the individual or the group of individuals may be carrying; and wherein the gateway is mechanically fortified so as to minimize damage from the explosion and/or debris from the explosion.